Viscous materials, such as toothpaste, are commonly packaged in collapsible tubes which offer the advantages of low cost and ease of use. However, consumer satisfaction with tubes has been limited by their messiness and their poor appearance during storage and use. In addition, they can be inconvenient to store because they occupy a large area when laid flat.
More recently, mechanical pumps have been introduced with some success because they overcome the negative of poor appearance during use and provide ease of storage. However, their acceptance has been somewhat limited by poor economy and the difficulties they present in dispensing product.
Conventional squeeze bottles have not been a practical alternative because viscous products, such as toothpaste, will not readily flow or drain to the dispensing orifice. In addition, the dispensing operation becomes increasingly difficult as more and more of the package contents are dispensed. This is due to the fact that more and more air is drawn into the package as the contents are dispensed.
Some liquid dentifrice formulations which will flow and which can be dispensed from a squeeze bottle without extreme difficulty have been introduced in conventional squeeze bottle packages. However, for the most part, these products have not been as well received by consumers as the more conventional viscous paste formulations which are not easily dispensed from a conventional squeeze bottle.